1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to the art of drilling devices, and in particular to portable drilling devices for use in boring horizontally through the soil beneath an impediment. More particularly, the invention relates to a drilling device for boring a horizontally-extending hole beneath an impediment, such as a cement slab, sidewalk or driveway, the presence of which makes direct vertical trenching impossible, in order to more easily lay pipes, electrical conduits and the like, beneath the impediment.
2. Background Art
Often times it becomes necessary to lay pipe, electrical conduits and the like, in the soil or substrate beneath an impediment, such as a driveway or a sidewalk. Typically, this is necessary when sprinkler systems, outdoor lighting, or other utility improvements such as security systems or landscape lighting are to be installed at locations where a sidewalk or driveway is already in place. Direct vertical trenching through the sidewalk or driveway in order to lay the pipe or conduit in the soil beneath the impediment would require that the sidewalk or driveway be broken apart, which adds additional costs and delays because the sidewalk or driveway must then be repaired after the pipe or conduit has been laid. Moreover, the sidewalk or driveway cannot be readily used during the time of trenching or during a usually extended period after the repair to the sidewalk or driveway is completed, because generally the repair of the sidewalk or driveway will need extended periods to set-up or cure so that normal use can be continued again.
Prior art methods and devices for horizontal drilling have generally been used in these types of situations. In one such prior art method, a trench is dug into the soil on both sides of the impediment, such as a sidewalk, and then a connection is made between the two trenches. This can be carried out by hand digging through the soil beneath the impediment, using picks and shovels; or by directing a stream of high pressure water at the soil beneath the impediment. This connection can also be carried out by utilizing a longitudinally extending blunt instrument, such as a pipe, that is driven through the soil beneath the sidewalk and which is then removed to leave a horizontally-extending hole through the soil beneath the sidewalk. This method can be particularly difficult because as the diameter of the blunt instrument increases, it becomes increasingly difficult to force or drive the instrument through the soil beneath the sidewalk or driveway. All of the aforementioned methods and devices for horizontal drilling are time consuming and involve a certain amount of difficulty. More particularly, in the case of the high pressure water technique, there is always the problem of drainage for or pump removal of the accumulated water, not to mention the possibility of erosion of the surrounding soil or substrate adjacent the bore which could result in a fracture or cave-in of the sidewalk which is above the horizontally-extending hole being drilled.
Still other more complicated prior art devices have been utilized in order to drill a horizontally-extending hole in the soil beneath an impediment. One such prior art device includes an auger that is mounted on a large vehicle, such as a skidsteer or tractor. This particular device is typically operated using hydraulics and, it is therefore, quite complex and expensive. Moreover, because it is typically mounted on a large vehicle, such as a skidsteer or tractor, it is difficult to use the device where space around the sidewalk or the driveway is limited, such as where the sidewalk is located in close proximity to an existing structure like a house or a barn. More particularly, where space is limited adjacent the impediment, it may be extremely difficult if not impossible to maneuver the skidsteer or tractor into position in order to horizontally drill beneath the impediment. Furthermore, because of the large size of the skidsteer or tractor, this particular device can also cause unnecessary damage to surrounding lawns and/or landscaping and the like. Because any damage to surrounding lawn and landscaping must be repaired in order to return the location to its prior condition, this particular drilling device adds unnecessary costs and expenses to the operation.
Yet still other prior art devices have been utilized in order to drill a horizontally-extending hole through the substrate beneath impediments. One such other prior art device includes an auger that is operatively connected to a wiggle-joint and a power source and is manufactured by Little Beaver, Inc. More particularly, this prior art device has a power source that is located on a small cart which is operatively connected to a hand-held auger that is held by the operator and which controls the rotation of the auger. More particularly, the handle/control is operatively connected to a drive shaft that is connected to a wiggle joint which is in turn operatively connected to an auger bit. The auger bit is typically about 5 feet in length. In order to operate this prior art drilling device, the operator is required to dig a six-foot long trench perpendicular to one side of the impediment along with a smaller trench directly opposite the long trench. The auger bit is then placed in the six-foot long trench and the power source is switched on. The power source rotates the drive shaft, wiggle-joint, and the auger bit, in order to drill horizontally below the impediment. As the auger bit is rotated, the operator pushes the device in the direction of the impediment in order to force the auger bit horizontally beneath the impediment. Once the small trench on the opposite side of the impediment is reached by the distal end of the auger bit, the operator then pulls the auger bit away from the impediment, leaving a horizontally-extending hole through the substrate beneath the impediment. This particular prior art device can be difficult to use because assembly of the various pieces of the device is required prior to operation. Moreover, because the power source is separate from the handle/control, it is difficult for the operator to maneuver and control the separate pieces of equipment while operating the device to drill the hole beneath the impediment. Furthermore, the handle/control, drive shaft, wiggle-joint and auger bit are also difficult to maneuver and control because they contain no additional support structure other than the components themselves, and therefore, are relatively unstable. In addition, it is difficult to move the device from one drilling location to another because the various components must be assembled and disassembled before and after each use, respectively.
Therefore, a need exists in the art for a portable drilling machine that is capable of boring a horizontal hole through the substrate beneath a sidewalk or driveway and which provides increased portability, stability and control over certain prior art devices, while reducing weight as well as costs associated with other prior art devices and which also reduces or minimizes time for assembling and disassembling the drilling device.
These improvements are provided by the portable drilling device of the present invention which increases portability, stability and control of the drilling device over prior art devices and which reduces weight and minimizes manufacturing and operating costs as well as reducing and/or minimizing assembly and disassembly times of the device over prior art devices.